Separable electric connector



Aug. 26, 1941. R, M. WARREN SEPARABLE ELECTRIC CONNECTORl Filed oct. 17, 1959 2 shetS-sheet 1 Aug; 26, 1941. R. M. WARREN SEPARABLE 'LECTRIC CONNECTOR Filed oct. 17, l1939 -2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE sEPAaABLE ELECTRIC coNNEcroa Roger M. Warren, Springfield, Mass., assigner to The Standard Electric Time Company, Sprint- This finvention relates to improvements in electric connectors, and more particularly to electric connectors in which readily separable interfitting male and .female members are employed.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior separable electric connector in which both the male and female members or connectors are readily joinable and separable, and are so constructed and related when separated, as to be'each guarded against accidental access to the live parts by the hands of the user or accidental short circuiting by contact with other connectors or members, grounded panels or the like. l

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior male connector which is guarded against accidental contact of its live parts with all but Va female member of predetermined design.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior male connector or jack which is suitable for mounting in a panel in substantially the same manner asis customary with female connectors-or jacks, but which is no more liable to have its live parts accidentally contacted by the hands of a person than is the usual female panel member of a separable connector.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a superior male connector with a retractable guard-member which automatically moves into a position for guarding the live element of the connector when the male connector is separated from its complemental female connector, and which guard is automatically retirable by means of the said female connector to permit electrical'engagement between the two vention, mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on'the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of a female connector suitable for use with the male connector of the preceding figures;

Fig. 4 is a. view thereof in central-longitudinal section; y

Fig. 5 is a view in central-longitudinal section showing the male connector and the female connector of the preceding figures interengaged for completing a circuit;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the contactmember of the male connector;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the Contact member of the female connector;

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of a modified form of female connector; y

Fig. 10 is an end view thereof; and

Fig. l1 is a view in frontr elevation of a male connector suitable for use with the female connector of Figs. 9 and 10, and shown as mounted in a fragment of a mounting-panel.

A L The male connector shown separately in Figs.

land is preferably backed by a vibration-dampening backing 24 which may be conveniently formed of asbestos.

The body-member 20 extends through both the mounting-panel 23 andthe backing 24, and is retained in place by a clamping-ring 25 threaded onto the externally-threaded periphery of the said body-member and bearing against the rear face of the backing 24. The said clamping-ring may be provided with two (more or less) wrenchreceiving holes 26 extending in substantial pare allelism with the axis of the ring, as is shown particularly well in Figs. 2 and 5.

The inner edge of the flange-like head 2| of the body-member 20 above referred to, over hangs the forward end of the cylindrical chamber 21 in the said body-member to provide a rearwardly-facing annular stop-shoulder 28 surrounding the otherwiseopen front end` of the body-member. The -said stop-shoulder 28 is adapted to be engaged by the forward face of a ring-like guard 29 adjacent the outer edge thereof. The said ring-like guard 29 is preferably formed of molded insulating material and is provided in its rear face with a shallow annular locating-groove'30, and with acentral aperture 3| adjacent which the forward face of the said guard 29 is formed with a conical locating-rib 3|b, all for the purpose as will more'fully hereinafter appear.

Pressing against the bottom of the groove 39 in the rear face of the ring-like guard 29 and exerting a constant but yielding effort to seat the forward face thereof against the rearwardlyfacing stop-shoulder 28 is the forward end of a helical guard-spring 32. The said guardspring 32 is housed within the chamber 21 in the body-member 20, and at its rear end is seated against the bottom of an .annular groove 33 formed in the forward face of an end-plate 34 threaded into the rear end of the cylindrical chamber 21 in the body-member 29.

Extending axially through the end-plate 34 is 4the externally-threaded shank 35 of a contact-member generally designated by the reference character 36,' and formed about midway of its length with an integral annular locatingflange 31. The rear face of the said locatingflange 31 bears against the forward face of the adjacent portion of the end-plate 34, and is firmly held in place by means of a nut 38 threaded onto the shank 35 and bearing against the rear face of the said end-plate 34. Rigidly clamped against the rear face of the nut 38 just referred to is the tongue of a terminal-clip 39 which is, in turn, held in place by a bindingnut 49 threaded onto the shank 35 of the contact-member 36, as is shown particularly well in Figs. 2 and 5.

The contact-member 36 is preferably formed of brass, and is provided at its forward endwith a Ibifurcated and f therefore laterally-resilient contact-post 4|. The bifurcated contact-post 4| constitutes the male contact of the assembly, and is preferably hemispherical at its forward end. The diameter of the contact-post 4| and the diameter of the aperture 3| in the ring-like guard 29 are such that the said guard may be retired rearwardly over the said contact-post from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 5, and back again under the urge of the guard-spring 32.

For use in conjunction with the male connector above described is a female connector which is shown detached in Figs. `3 and 4. The said female connector includes a body-member preferably formed of moulded insulating material, and generally designated by the reference character 42. The said body-member is formed with an axial passage 43 extending therethrough from its outer to its inner end, and receiving in its interior a contact-member 44 formed of brass or other conducting material. The inner or terminal portion 45 of the b y-member 42 is of cylindrical form while the/louter portion 46 .is shaped to provide a convenient'handgrip, and

is separated from the said terminal portion 45 Aby an annular limiting-flange 41.

the free end of the terminal portion 45 0f the body-member 42 and lies in substantial engagement with anannular stop-shoulder 5| constituting the inner face of an annular flange 52 inwardly projecting into the adjacent end of the passage 43 in the body-member 42.

` Radially in line with the integral partition 48 in the contact-member 44 are two (more or less) oppositely-located locking-screws 53-53 radially threaded into the central portion of the contactmember 44 and having their respective heads located in suitable radial passages formed in the tubular terminal portion 45 of the bodymember 42 adjacent the limiting-flange 41 thereof. Preferably, the outer faces of the heads of the locking-screws 53-53 are located below or inwardly of the periphery of the adjacent portion of the body-member, and for protective purposes are covered by plugs 54-54 formed of sealing-wax or other insulating material.

The outer end of the contact-member 44 is located mainly within the outer portion or handgrip 46, and is formed with an outwardly-opening cylindrically-contoured socket 55 in which may be soldered the adjacent end of a flexible cable 56 which, by means of the separable male and female connectors, may be placed in electrical communication with a cable 51 soldered or otherwise secured to the terminal-clip 39 clamped to the shank 35 of the contact-member 36 of the male connector.

When it is desired to electrically interconnect the cables 56 and 51, this may be accomplished by placing the tubular free end of the terminal portion 45 of the female connector over and around the conical locating-rib 3Ib on the outer face of the ring-like guard 29 of the male connector.` Now by thrusting rearwardly, the ringlike guard 29 may be retired rearwardly in the chamber 21 of the `body-member 20, against the tension of the guard-spring 32, and the contactsleeve 50 of the bifurcated female connector sleeved-over the bifurcated contact-post 4| of the contact-member 36 of the male connector, until the parts assume the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 5.

When the parts have been forced into the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 5, the frictional engagement between the contactsleeve 50 of the contact-member 44 of the female connector and the contact-post 4| of the' contact-member, 36 of the male connector, will be sufficient to prevent the axial separation of the two said elements by the tension of the nowcompressed guard-spring 32.

An axial outward draft upon the handle-like outer-end portion of the body-member 42 of the female connector will separate the said female connector from the said male connector, during which operation the ring-like guard 29 will move outwardly until the two said connectors are entirely separated, whereupon the said guard will reassume the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 and thereby guard the adjacent end of the contact-post 4| from accidental engagement by the hand of the operator.

The opening through the flange-like head 2|v of the body-member 20 of the male connector is of circular form and has a diameter but slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindricallycontoured terminal portion 45 of the body-mem- `ber 42 of the female connector. Under some conditions, it is desired to provide a female connector which will not intert with the male connector of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in particular, and also to provide a male connector which will not interfit with the female connector of the type shown particularly well in Figs. 3 and 4. To carry out this purpose, a female connector of the type shown in Figs. 9 and 10 may be emflange-like head 2Ia of the body-member 20a of the male connector shown in Fig. 11.

The internal construction of the male connector shown in Fig. 11 may be in all essential respects the same as the internal construction of the male connector, which isl shown especially wellA in Figsjl and 2, and which has been described in detail. For purposes of brevity, the parts of the female connector of Figs. 9 and 10 will, where feasible, bear the same reference characters as those applied to the lfemale connector of the preceding figures, save that each reference character will bear the additional` designation a. Similarly, the parts of the male connector shown in Fig. 11 are marked with the same reference characters, where feasible, as' are the parts of the male connector of the preceding figures, save that here, also, each reference character will bear the additional designation a.

In Fig. 10, the broken line 6I represents the size and shape of the aperture through the flange-like head 2| of the body-member 20 of the male connector oflFlgs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, in order to illustrate how the hexagonal head 59 of the female connector of Figs. 9 and 10 is prevented from entering or cooperating with the male connectorjust referred to.

The broken line 62 shown in Fig. 11 represents the size and shape of the terminal-end of the female connector of Figs. 3, 4 and 5, from which lt will be seen that the said female connector cannot be introduced into the hexagonal aperture 6U in the male-connector structure 'of Fig. 11.

In this manner, female connectors may be provided which will not intert with certain predetermined male connectors and, similarly, male connectors may be provided which will not intert with certain predetermined female connectors. Thus, certain female connectors may be guarded against beingy coupled to a wrong male connector, and vice versa. A

By-providing a male connector with a retirable guard, the said male connector is'rendered safe against accidental contact with live parts by the fingers of an operator, to substantially the same degree as the safety ordinarily provided by enclosed contact-members of female connectors.

The invention may be carried out in other speciflc ways than those herein set forth Without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A male electrical-connector construction including in combination: a mounting-panel structure having a hole therethrough; a hollow bodymember secured in said hole and having stopmeans at its forward end engaging the front of said mounting-panel structure; said body-member having an opening in its frontend for entry of a female velectrical-connector, and interior limit-means adjacent its front end; a contactpost secured inside and at the rear of said body- 'member and extending forwardly and having its front end located to the rear ofthe plane of the front face of `said mounting-panel structure; a guard-member in said body-member yieldingly held against said interior limit-means and having an aperture permitting said guard-member to pass rearwardly over the said contact-post by the introduction of the terminal end of a female connector through the opening in the front of the body-member. .v

. 2. A male electrical-connector construction including in combination: a mounting-panel structure having a hole therethrough; a hollow bodymember in said hole and having a flange at the front of said mounting-panel structure and an exterior threaded portion at the rear of said mounting-panel structure, and a threaded member on said exterior threaded portion and clamp-- ing said mounting-panel structure between said flange and said threaded member; said bodymember having an opening in its front end for entry of a female electrical-connector, and interior limit-means adjacent its front end; a, contact-post secured inside and at the rear of said body-member and extending forwardly; a guardmember in said body-member yieldingly held against said interior limit-means and having an aperture permitting said guard-member to pass rearwardly over the'said contact-post by the lntroduction of the terminal'end of a female connector through the opening in the front of the body-member. y

3. A male electrical-connector construction including in combination: a mounting-panelstructure having a hole therethrough; a hollow bodymember in said hole andvhaving a flange at the front of said mounting-panel structure and an `interiorly-tl'ireaded open rear end, and an exterior threaded portion at the rear of said mounting-panel structure, and a threaded member onsaid exterior threaded portion and clamping said mounting-panel structure between said flange and said threaded member; said bodymember having an opening in its front end for entry of a female electrical-connector, and interior limit-means adjacent its front end; a contact-post support threadedly mounted in said threaded rear end of the body-member; a contact-post secured to said contact-post support and extending forwardly; a'guard-member in said body-member yieldingly held against said interior limit-means and having an aperture permitting said' guard-member to pass rearwardly over the said contact-post bythe introduction of the terminal end of a female connector through the opening in the front of the body-member.

ROGER M. WARREN. 

